Hydrogen peroxide has the ability to gain or lose electrons, as its oxygen atoms are in the -1 oxidation state. By gaining electrons they can go to the -2 oxidation state, and by losing electrons they can go to the zero oxidation state (the element). So H2O2 act as both an oxidising agent and a reducing agent. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a very pale blue liquid which appears colorless in a dilute solution, slightly more viscous than water. It is a weak acid. It has strong oxidizing properties and is therefore a powerful bleaching agent that has found use as a disinfectant, as an oxidizer, and in rocketry (particularly in high concentrations as high-test peroxide (HTP) as a monopropellant), and in bipropellant systems. Hydrogen peroxide has been used as an antiseptic and anti-bacterial agent for many years. While its use has decreased in recent years with the popularity of better smelling and more readily available over-the-counter products, it is still used by many hospitals, doctors and dentists in sterilizing, cleaning and treating everything from floors to root canal procedures.